British student sentenced to 25 years in prison in Dubai: what happened.

25 years of imprisonment for British law student in Dubai

According to The Sun: 23-year-old law student Mia O'Brien, who was detained in Dubai, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after 50 grams of cocaine were found in her possession. This was reported by her mother.

O'Brien, who lives in Huyton, Merseyside, received the sentence for drug possession, with a street value of about £2,500 in the UK.

Mia's family reached out for help, claiming that the girl “never did anything wrong” and simply “made a very stupid mistake.”

Mia's mother, 46-year-old Danielle McKenna, spoke about the harsh conditions her daughter is enduring.

If you have information about this story, contact us at [email protected]

Danielle reported that Mia was detained in October last year when 50 grams of cocaine were found in her apartment.

The student was arrested along with a friend and his boyfriend; all three were charged with drug trafficking.

The verdict was delivered after a one-day hearing on July 25.

The court also imposed a fine of £100,000 on Mia, after which she was sent to the harsh Central Dubai prison known as Al-Awir.

“Mia feels that she has ruined her life as she dreamed of becoming a lawyer,” added Danielle in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Danielle noted, “The hearing was conducted in Arabic, and Mia was informed about the verdict only later through her lawyer.”

“She is absolutely stunned by what happened. Mia is trying to be strong, but I can see that she is really struggling,” she added.

The student shares a cell with six other women and is forced to sleep on the floor with only a mattress and one pillow.

“Conditions in the prison are awful. There is practically no staff, and if she needs something, she has to knock on the big doors,” said Danielle.

“She has witnessed fights and admitted that she is very scared.”

Danielle believes that her daughter is a “victim of judicial arbitrariness” and emphasizes that Mia has never used drugs or attempted to sell them.

“She may be charged, but she was caught in this situation,” the mother summarized.

An insider's view of 'Dubai's Alcatraz'

MIA O'BRIEN has been incarcerated in Al-Awir Central Prison in Dubai.

This prison is used for both men and women, who are separated upon entry.

Women occupy one of four blocks in this vast prison, as noted by the British government.

Terrifying stories told by former prisoners paint a troubling picture of Al-Awir.

In 2012, Carla Williams was sentenced to a year after drugs were discovered in his car.

He compared Al-Awir prison to “Dubai's version of Alcatraz.”

During his imprisonment, he recounted watching inmates kill each other in brutal altercations that guards did not respond to.

He also claims that police used electric shock on him during interrogation.

“It was incredibly painful. I was afraid I would die in that room,” he said.

Lawyers also emphasize that inmates signed documents in Arabic under the threat of a gun.

Carl believes that Russian gangsters control the prison blocks and allegedly force HIV-positive inmates to engage in sexual assaults.

The Dubai presidency and government deny all these allegations.

Mia hopes for an appeal in the coming weeks, and her mother wishes for her daughter to return to the UK soon.

Danielle believes that Mia could get a plea deal that would allow her to serve the remainder of her term closer to her family.

“Mia is bravely enduring this, but she misses her younger brothers, who are only 5 and 7 years old,” she noted.

Mia dreams of returning home, and her mother hopes this will become possible.